October 16, 2026 -- Day Sixteen of Joy: Galatians 5:22-24

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24 ESV
 
Many of you know that I volunteer at a drug and alcohol recovery centre for men. The guys spend 24/7 together for nine months to a year. You guessed it. That is a place of wild emotions, of tumult, and chaos. They are introduced to Jesus, many of them for the very first time. The fruit of the Spirit is emphasized. When one of men becomes a Christian, he is a new creation in Jesus Christ. His whole demeanor changes. The way he interacts with others changes. He is no longer a slave to sin but has been set free to serve Jesus. Love and joy are early evidence of that full life that is given to anyone who now is in Christ.
 
Of course, when you know someone very well (as do the men in that recovery centre) their stressors and sore points, triggers and temptations, it is easy to poke away at one another. You know exactly what will set someone off. Baiting the bear so to speak. When that happens, the men have an expression for that. The one doing the baiting is called a “fruit tester”. Yup. You read that right. If the one tested rises to the bait, the fruit of the Spirit in him has been tested…and proves it isn’t ripe yet.
 
The point is, circumstances, the people around us, the dashed expectations which are common to all people allow the fruit of the Spirit to shine through. Christians have a treasure house of joy within them. They know they are loved by God the Father. Christians have a peace that passes understanding, allowing them to withstand the hardest fruit-testing, because Jesus is the rock of their salvation. Joy, even in difficult circumstances, is not elusive, but the abiding theme of the heart fixed on Jesus.
 
Lord Jesus Christ, I want to be different. Let Your Spirit change me so that the fruit of the Spirit ripens and matures in me. Let my life, words and actions, bring honour and glory to my Father in heaven. Glorious Jesus, cause Your holy love and heavenly joy grow in me, and be very evident to all who meet me. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/y3gWwGDGgVA?si=UfuD_cNv66ck8lAr
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 15, 2026 -- Day Fifteen of Joy -- Proverbs 10:27-29

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

27 The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
    but the years of the wicked will be short.
28 The hope of the righteous brings joy,
    but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless,
    but destruction to evildoers.
Proverbs 10:27-29 ESV
 
When you think of all the LORD has done, is doing, and will do for you in Christ, are you filled with joy? Or do you think how hard it is to serve Him? Do you groan inwardly at all the rules, the expectations and the self-denial? These three verses show the sharp contrast between the way of life and the way of death. Both of the ways are hard work. Wickedness is hard. It is expensive. It ultimately costs your life here on earth and robs you of eternal bliss. But the wicked are so blinded by their sin and ignorance that they can’t comprehend the true cost of their licentiousness.
 
Ah, but the way of the LORD prolongs life. It is a stronghold of protection for those who know all their sins are wholly covered in Christ. The way of the LORD is the pathway of exchanging the sure punishment of the agonies of hell for the glory, the bliss, and the gladness of knowing your creator. Living in fellowship with Jesus, the author and perfecter of all true believing, sculpts you for eternal bliss. And this by the power of the Holy Spirit Who will protect you from the lies of the enemy with the rock-solid truth of the Bible. No wonder the writer exclaims “the hope of the righteous brings joy”!
 
Father in heaven, stronghold of the blameless, prolonger of life blessed be Your Name now and forevermore.
Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, blessed be Your Name, now and forevermore.
Spirit of the LORD, instructor in all truth, blessed be Your Name, now and forevermore.
Triune God, in You I find my rest and fullness of joy here, anticipating fullest, eternal joy.
Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/BppKOFLig2w?si=_ZYO5QefayITRcXQ
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 14, 2026 -- Day Fourteen of Joy -- Matthew 15:11-12

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11-12 ESV
 
Today this passage is paired up with a beautiful prayer. It was written centuries ago and it is part of a collection of prayers (which I regularly quote) called the Valley of Vision: Puritan Prayers and Devotions. The reason it pairs so well with today’s reflection on joy is the prayer warrior is seeking to rejoice and be glad in the Lord, though he is facing trials and hardships.
 
O God of my delight,
 Thy throne of grace
is the pleasure ground of my soul.
Here I obtain mercy in time of need,
here see the smile of thy reconciled face,
here joy pleads the name of Jesus,
here I sharpen the sword of the Spirit,
anoint the shield of faith,
put on the helmet of salvation,
gather manna from thy Word,
am strengthened for each conflict,
nerved for the upward race,
empowered to conquer every foe;
Help me to come to Christ
as the fountain head of descending blessings,
as a wide open flood-gate of mercy.
I marvel at my insensate folly, that
with such enriching favours within my reach
I am slow to extend the hand to take them.
Have mercy upon my deadness for thy Name’s sake.
Quicken me, stir me, fill me with holy zeal.
Strengthen me that I may cling to thee and not let thee go.
May thy Spirit within me draw all blessings from thy hand.
When I advance not, I backslide.
Let me walk humbly because of good omitted and evil done.
Impress on my mind the shortness of time,
the work to be engaged in,
the account to be rendered,
the nearness of eternity,
the fearful sin of despising thy Spirit.
May I never forget that
thy eye always sees,
thy ear always hears,
thy recording hand always writes.
May I never give thee rest until Christ is
the pulse of my heart;
the spokesman of my lips,
the lamp of my feet.
The Valley of Vision, “The Throne”, page 272
 
https://youtu.be/igV63aKSqb8?si=ziBL_DlCQ5IdMWbz
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 13, 2026 -- Day Thirteen of Joy: Psalm 33:20-21

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Our soul waits for the LORD;
   He is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in Him,
   because we trust in His holy Name.
Psalm 33:20-21ESV
 
The man teared up, shrugging his shoulders to let me know he didn’t care that there were twenty-plus other men grabbing coffee at the end of the meeting who could see him. The worse part is, they didn’t notice him at all. That is what the point of his tears. He felt alone. By-passed. In a crowd no one would look at him. He was new to the prison. He’d come from a maximum institution, and the guys in the group were all more or less familiar with one another and had been together for a while.
 
Look again at the verse. Why is the Psalmist glad? Why is rejoicing the order of the day? Because the LORD is our help. When everyone is passing you by; He stopped. He stooped to your lowliness. He listened.
 
Why is the Psalmist glad? Because our waiting, lonely souls, have a shield. God is the protection of those who are defenseless. It is in His power now, or at the end of time, to right all wrongs.
 
We trust in His holy Name. The Name of the LORD refers to His character. It refers to His willingness to help. His Name is the gold standard—when He says He will do something; He does it and no force in all the galaxies can stop Him. No wonder that the Psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, encourages believers through-out the generations to be glad in the LORD.
 
O LORD, my God, my soul waits for You. You have promised Abraham that You alone are His shield and very great reward. Through the unknown author of this psalm, You are repeating your promise. Now, as a New Testament Christian I know You have sent Jesus to be my help and my shield. Spirit of the Living God, seal these promises to my heart so that in sorrows as well as in times of joy, my trust in the LORD my God will increase. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/TxC16duiHvQ?si=QK4BTy7RvCop23ah

 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 11, 2026 -- Day Eleven of Joy: Psalm 32:10-11

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
   but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,
   and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Psalm 32:10-11 ESV
 
The fact is all of us were wicked. No one is born free from sin and able to live a life that is pleasing to the LORD our God. Therefore, all of us have experienced the consequences of our sins and the sorrows of our contumacy. That is where this Psalm began—noting how blessed is the man, the woman, the child, whose sin is covered. It is the love of the LORD Who embraces His people with steadfast love. It is love that on His part can never be dimmed, broken, or diminished. In fact, the more we mature in Christ, the more His love is real to the one who trusts in Him.
 
No wonder the Psalmist is calling on believers to be glad, rejoice, and shout for joy. Contemplating what God has done causes the believer to feel gladness. Then to go around in rejoicing, telling others and giving off contagious exuberance. Finally, the believer shouts with joy! Ever wonder how many fans at a soccer match, or a football game, or hockey match shout themselves hoarse as they celebrate their team? We serve a God Whose rich kindness and great mercy and indescribable love will not end. I think we have the greater reason to shout ourselves hoarse in joy as we praise Him!
 
Remember, O my soul,
It is thy duty and privilege to rejoice in God;
He requires it of thee for all his favours of grace.
Rejoice then in the Giver and his goodness,
Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing but God,
for whatever a man trusts in,
from that he expects happiness.
He who is the ground of thy faith
should be the substance of thy joy.
Whence then come heaviness and dejection,
when joy is sown in thee,
promised by the Father,
bestowed by the Son,
inwrought by the Holy Spirit,
thine by grace,
thy birthright in believing?
Art thou seeking to rejoice in thyself
from an evil motive of pride and self-reputation?
Thou hast nothing of thine own but sin,
nothing to move God to be gracious,
or to continue his grace towards thee.
If thou forget this thou wilt lose thy joy.
Art thou grieving under a sense of indwelling sin?
Let godly sorrow work repentance,
as the true spirit which the Lord blesses,
and which creates fullest joy;
Sorrow for self opens rejoicing in God,
Self-loathing draws down divine delights.
Hast thou sought joys in some creature comfort?
Look not below God for happiness;
fall not asleep in Delilah’s lap.
Let God be all in all to thee,
and joy in the fountain that is always full.
Amen
“A Colloquy on Rejoicing” Valley of Vision, page 278
 
https://youtu.be/zhhYIZJj6rk?si=2w-qHWDuTeDw378U
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 10, 2026 -- Day Ten of Joy: Exodus 18:8-9

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that He had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.
Exodus 18:8-9 ESV
 
I must confess, after my last exploration of the word joy, the negative sense of it and how this the conflict between uncle and nephew points us to Jesus, I feel like I stumbled in these reflections. Today (four days later) my zeal for this project is renewed.
 
When Jethro is confronted with the goodness of the LORD, His deliverance of His people, which was promised four hundred years before, and now accomplished, he is filled with joy. Jethro is not an Israelite. Moses had married a foreign woman. So, Jethro needed to be brought up to speed on all that had taken place. No doubt as Moses told Jethro all that had happened, Moses himself was filled with awe and joy. The telling of it is contagious joy which then starts infecting Jethro. This joy spills over into blessing God. This rejoicing leads him to declare his firm faith in God Who delivers His people from all their enemies. Joy leads Jethro to bring a sacrifice of praise to God and to eat a fellowship meal with the leaders of God’s people.
 
In preparation for the last plague, the people of Israel put blood on the doorframes of their houses. The angel of death arrived that night and killed all the firstborn of Egypt. Anyone who didn’t have the blood of the lamb on the doorframe of their house lost their firstborn. Pharoah’s firstborn died. The lowliest slave woman’s firstborn died. The cost of God’s deliverance from slavery is blood.
 
In the New Testament, our deliverance from slavery to sin comes at the cost of Jesus’ blood. What the lamb’s blood in the Old Testament foreshadowed, the New Testament manifested. Jesus is the lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus’ blood is the final sacrifice. As New Testament Christians we celebrate the fact that no more blood, nor ever will be needed for us to approach God. Jesus is the full and complete evidence of all the good that the LORD has done for His people.
 
How has God blessed you recently? How have you seen His deliverance? Where has the goodness of Jesus been brilliant in your life? Share it. I have no doubt that will open a fountain of joy in your life. Perhaps even leading your listener to join you in rejoicing for all the good God has done.
 
Oh God of splendour and saving love, thank You for the rich salvation You have displayed in Jesus Christ. Thank You, God of Angel Armies, for the Holy Spirit Who seals this redemptive work to our hearts. Spirit of God, bring to mind the glorious works of God in my own life that as I review them and tell them to others, joy will flow from me to the praise and honour of Your Name. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/vz-FkqobgXY?si=l12R9jK8dAuD4yLc
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 9, 2026 -- Day Nine of Joy: Genesis 31:27

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?”
Genesis 31:27 ESV
 
The word mirth is a translation of the Hebrew word joy. The English word mirth means laughter, pleasure and celebration. That is a great description of joy. Strangely, this first use of the word joy in the Bible is not a celebration, but an accusation. It is almost a threat, anger because of the possibility of joy that has been robbed by the actions of Jacob.
 
Perhaps you know the story. Jacob, whose name means liar or deceiver, worked for his uncle Laban for seven years so that he could marry the love of his life, Rachel. Laban himself was a trickster, and on the wedding night gave Jacob the older sister Leah instead of Rachel. Not sure how that could have been missed by Jacob. Guessing there was a clever use of veils and never unveiling the bride until, jolly with wine, Jacob bedded his new bride. Then he worked for another seven years to secure the hand of Rachel in marriage. What a mess.
 
Joy is absent because of deception.
Joy is absent because of the layers of lies.
Joy is absent because men and women refused to face up to the consequences of their actions before God Who is holy and true.
Joy is absent, in fact hostility is so inflamed, that the men must set up a heap of stones at a boundary point so that if either one of them crossed it with angry intent, God would judge between them.
 
It is an allegory, a depiction of God and His people. It clearly shows what could have been. No wonder Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2 ESV).
Joy is restored because Jesus bore away the punished of God’s sin.
Joy is restored and deceptions are atoned for, relationships can be healed in Christ.
Joy is restored because the consequences of human actions have been made right in Christ and believers can find a way forward, if they are in Christ.
Joy is restored so fully that a boundary, a dividing wall of hostility has been removed and believers can walk in true community.
 
A story of what was not, prepares the reader for the greater glory of Jesus’ work.
A story of what was not, makes the heart of the reader open to the work of the Holy Spirit to bring to the believer the riches of the storehouse of heaven.
 
Holy Father You are the foundation of joy for all who believe.
Holy Jesus You are the source of joy for all who trust in You.
Holy Spirit You are the deposit of joy, guarding it within us until the fullest, eternal expression of joy is ours in the new heavens and new earth. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/Ty8tw7ydxB4?si=yyit1dLytvH4ZrxE

 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 8, 2026 -- Day Eight of Joy: John 15:10-11

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:10-11 ESV
 
Why do I have to keep that law? Why does God demand obedience? I confess, I can easily lose focus. As I get older, my vision gets blurry. Carson Pue uses that experience as metaphor. Consider these words:
Refractive errors are an imperfection in the way the eye bends light. The spiritual
equivalent among Christian leaders seeking God’s vision is a faulty theology—not
being Christ-centred in their thinking but rather incorporating too many of the
world’s ways in defining the vision for their life. These refractive errors can almost
always be corrected with prescription lenses, and for the spiritual leader I would
suggest the corrective lens of the Bible to restore godly vision.
Carson Pue Mentoring Leaders. Grand Rapids: BakerBooks, 2005, page 105
 
What is affecting my joy? It is the fact that the world is influencing me far more than I realize. Worldliness, the vanity of it all, taints my vision. Peers pressure me to live my best life now. When the corrective lens of Scripture is applied, I see Jesus. Jesus, Who willingly, lovingly obeyed all that His Father commanded Him. It was not a matter of Jesus keeping God’s commands in the fearful hope that this would lead Him to be loved by God the Father. No! Think of this, O my soul! From before there was time, the Father loved the Son, and the Son loved the Father. When the Son took on human flesh, He willingly fulfilled the decree of His Father in heaven. Before the world was even created, the Father had elected to redeem a people unto Himself through the Beloved.
 
What is Jesus’ joy? Knowing that His great sacrifice of love in flesh would result in my being filled with His joy. Jesus’ joy is the only source of joy that could ever be, comprehensive, lasting, and continuous joy in me. He is infinite. His Father’s love is infinite. The Spirit Who sustains the joy of the LORD in me is infinite. Where else could I ever have such a well-spring of joy? (If you’re wondering, that was not rhetorical—I should shout, yeah, you too, you should shout in reply to that last question—No where else! Jesus is all my joy!)
 
Disobedience is like taking off the corrective lens of Scripture. Sin is taking my eyes off Jesus. Rebelliousness is to look away from Jesus which means I can’t act on the life-affirming, thankfulness expressing, commands. Such commands which would otherwise keep Jesus-my-joy in full view. The moment Jesus is restored, front and centre, in my vision, I realize it is His desire that my joy in Him be as full as is His joy in the Father. Obedience to God is not drudgery. Having taken hold of Jesus by faith, obedience is the pathway into experiencing the joy which the Holy Trinity has enjoyed throughout eternity. This passage, Jesus’ prayer, is His one hand outstretched to the Father in petition, while His other hand is reaching out to me, clasping mine, inviting me. Experience real joy!
 
Jesus, You are my joy. You are the joy of all who trust in You. Spirit of the Living God lift my eyes from my circumstances, from my out-of-focus desires, and fix my eyes on Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/xd28CiLalec?si=1J0QnK3BpJ2eaBWs

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 7, 2026 -- Day Seven of Joy: Luke 4:42-43 & Hebrews 12:1-2

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”  Luke 4:42-43
 
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV
 
My friend Melissa just sent me two pages of the artist Makoto Fujimura’s book, Art + Faith. He coined this compound word “Border-stalkers”. He describes them this way: “They cross tribal norms to see the whole, to navigate in between the walls erected to protect the tribes” (page 15). And then this “As border-stalkers, artists are often found at the margins of society, meandering into the borders of established thought patterns…These border-stalking voices are essential for a Kintsugi mode of theology that mends the broken fissures of our cultures and helps all of us to listen to the voice of the Spirit (page 46).
 
Who is Jesus? He is the ultimate border-stalker. He crossed from the norm of heaven to the sin-fractured tribal chaos of earth. He could have been content to stay in one place. But for the joy set before Him (that of reconciling men and women to God for the glory of God) He went to the forgotten, the marginalized, below-the-line people.
 
Joy. Jesus could endure suffering because of the weight of God’s glorious plan filled His imagination and His soul.
 
Joy. Jesus moved from town to town because good news is too much for any people in just one place. It can not be contained. That is joy—something which bursts like a fountain—welling up from the soul and drenching those around with everlasting (or ever-laughing) life.
 
Joy. Jesus spent time alone in desolate places. These were times of with His heavenly Father. Sweet communion.
 
Joy. Jesus knowing broken, spiteful, hurting, sinful, rebellious, scornful people would be put back together. Kintsugi is the art of mending with gold what is broken. Isn’t that the perfect illustration? Jesus’ work is the gold mending our brokenness so that the whole of what we are in Him is infinitely better than what we were. His gleaming brilliance has restored us.
 
Joy for the Christian is that Jesus is restoring us.
 
Joy for the Christian is the work of the Holy Spirit overcoming our fixation on our brokenness. The Spirit lifts our eyes so that we can see the perfectly refined righteousness of Christ applied, and still now being applied to us.
 
Joy for the Christian is having a heavenly Father Who knows full well all our sinfulness, knows the measure and destruction of everyone, and has measured out His penalty, in full measure, against Jesus.
 
Joy for the Christian is knowing Jesus’ sacrifice, perfect and complete, has granted Him the highest place of honour at the Father’s right hand.
 
Joy for the Christian is knowing Jesus is praying for us, so that we will be with Him in glory. Jesus is not angry at the fact He had to save us. Not embittered by the battle He’d undertaken. It was, as the Hebrews writer said it, “the joy set before Him”. The result is our joy-filled trust in Him is care-free.
 
Triune God, You are the joy of the believer. Father You are the source of joy; Jesus You are the foundation of joy; Spirit of the Living God You sustain the virtue of joy in my life. Triune God, my joy, from the fullest pleasures life might offer, I turn away, unfilled, looking to You in the full knowledge and expectation in You alone is found all bliss, gladness and life. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/2ar76T6OGoU?si=mS6O6illmEM2jmEO

October 6, 2026 -- Day Six of Joy: Nehemiah 8:10

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10 ESV
 
The people of God had just spent hours (yes, hours) standing outside, listening to the Word of the LORD as it was read and explained. Their response? They worshiped the Living God Who’d rescued them, sustained them, returned them from exile back into the land. There’d been much weeping as well, as people realized it was their sinfulness which ignited the appropriate wrath of God against the previous generation and their generation. The public reading of the Word restored the people’s confidence in the LORD’s goodness, His acts of mercy, and salvation.
 
How is the “joy of the LORD” your strength? Remember recent failures and sins and then immediately recognize the grace of God poured out on you in Christ. You are a son or a daughter of God, forgiven, reconciled to God by the blood of Christ! Let that ignite a glowing fire of joy in your soul. Read the Word of God and know joy is the spiritual response of these blessed by God. Joy is God’s gift to strengthen believers in times of trouble. Joy is contagious in the life of the believer winning other souls to Christ.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for the Bible. Thank You for the work of Your Holy Spirit, in each and every generation, preserving the Bible and using it, along with the witness of fishers of men, to kindle a living faith in Jesus. Triune God let the joy of knowing You be our strength. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/2ar76T6OGoU?si=Uxwx8QDVcUq3sINJ
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 5, 2026 -- Day Five of Joy: Psalm 126:5

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Those who sow in tears
   shall reap with shouts of joy!
Psalm 126:5 ESV
 
What you’re reading is the power of God to bring an awesome reversal to your life. Those who sow in tears are the people who stay faithful to God, even though so much has been stacked against them. They hold onto the promises of God the compassionate one, even when it seems His compassion has burned out and all that is left is ashes. What is the promised result? They will reap with shouts of joy! Not faint praise. Not a mumbling of thanks. But joy that reverberates from the brain to fill the lungs and expand the diaphragm so that enough air can be expelled as the words of joy spill out.
 
Sowing and reaping take time. What is planted on May 24th can’t be harvested, or reaped, on May 31st. Sowing seed takes time. Patient prayer as one waits for the germination and sprouting. Months can pass. It seems like nothing is happening. But what is sown for the glory of God will bring such a blessing. Funny, in the background, suddenly my music play list started the song, “Whate’er My God Ordains is Right”. Too true.
 
Oh God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, source of joy, sustainer of joy, and expectation of eternal joy, in this season of sowing let my faith rest on You. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/z-yJ3xMVUDI?si=kAzCg7bKnjun49FS
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 4, 2026 -- Day Four of Joy: Matthew 5:11-12

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

 
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [1]
Matthew 5:11-12 ESV
 
Upon hearing someone who seemed to rarely read the Bible but stated the Sermon on the Mount was his favorite passage, Sinclair Ferguson remarked “I wonder if he’s actually read it”. Would it surprise you to know today’s text is part of the Sermon on the Mount? A believer in Jesus Christ will face persecution—everything from ridicule to imprisonment to death.
 
Jesus told His audience, rejoice, literally, choose joy when you are reviled, persecuted and people speak evil against you. That kind of opposition is a sign of your devotion to Jesus. It is a sign that the Father has, in fact, yanked you from the kingdom of darkness and placed you in the Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of the Son He loves. The Spirit of the Living God is guarding your witness and even uses the push back you receive to witness to your oppressors.
 
Father in heaven thank You for the new life that is mine in Christ. Thank You that whatever I might suffer for the sake of Jesus is evidence of the great reward that is stored up for me in heaven. Spirit of God give me both the faith and courage to live out loud for Jesus. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/TxC16duiHvQ?si=roiYlWkJUe0vSgP8

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Mt 5:11–12.

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 3, 2026 -- Day Three of Joy: James 1:2-3

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

How are joy and trials linked?

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James1:2-3 ESV

Why trials? How are these linked to joy? This morning I was reading the article “When Leadership outpaces Formation: the challenge of function-driven leadership” (Faith Today. September/October 2026, page 42). Author Cathie Ostapchuk writes, “I learned early how to carry responsibility, but not how to tend to the soul carrying it”. What an amazing statement. Perhaps believers learn to count the trials of various kinds as joy precisely because the Spirit of God is using such circumstances to teach the soul to lean upon Him. Entirely upon Him and Him alone. Trials drive the child of God to the Spirit for the restoration of the soul.

This morning one of my prayer partners and I met for our regularly scheduled hour of coffee and prayer. Joey and I were speaking of how hard this season has been, for each of us, in our respective areas of work. Precisely because it was difficult, we had to pray more. Interestingly, we realized that because we knew we are “poor in spirit”, the testing of our faith brought us to our knees in utter reliance on God. We realized this explains why we saw the kind of fruit that would never have appeared in our lives if we’d been in a long season of ease. Steadfastness is the assurance that God’s got this. Steadfastness is the ability to put one foot in front of other, patiently persevering, especially in a time of hard slogging, because the Captain of Salvation both directs and sustains His people by the Spirit of God. We count it all joy because God is in the middle of all of this. He is doing what only God can do, which is to bring order out of chaos, living saints from dry bones. Count it all joy!

Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit three we Name You the Triune God of glory and the sole source of joy in the life of the believer. Thank You for the great gift of hindsight, whereby we can see the good You have produced through the various trials we have endured. Increase our faith and our courage Lord. Amen.

https://youtu.be/KU5ct0iY-Ds?si=-tefbrR4lBN3Ql2l

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 2, 2026 -- Day 2 of Joy -- Isaiah 12:3-4

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:
                      “Give thanks to the Lord,
                        call upon his name,
                        make known his deeds among the peoples,
                        proclaim that his name is exalted.” [1]
                        Isaiah 12:3-4 ESV
 
Any commentator will tell you that the imagery of water is dramatic for the Jewish people who live in a hot, and often dry, country. To a parched man on a hot day, what could be more refreshing than a drink of water from the cool depths of the well? That is what Jesus is like to our parched souls. He is a cool drink of salvation for our parched and weary souls.
 
When it happens that you, unexpectedly, encounter this well in your greatest need, you’ll turn back and tell your friends, your family, your co-workers, all your fellow-travelers: “We’re saved! There’s water here!” That is our experience with Jesus!

Oh Jesus, living water for our thirsty souls, we proclaim Your Name is exalted. What Isaiah prophesied so long ago has come to pass, with joy we draw water from the wells of salvation. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/2yZVweZ2Cvg?si=HaU8Xdt6PMGq1Czh
 

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version

(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Is 12:3–4.)
 

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

October 1, 2026 -- Psalm 16:11 -- Day One of Joy

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

You make known to me the path of life;
  in Your presence there is fullness of joy;
  at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 ESV
 
Not that long ago a friend gave me a book to help me with my reading break. The book is meant to slow Christians down so that their busy pace of life doesn’t hinder the depths of their walk with God—our life’s true purpose. In that book was a wonderful challenge: spend thirty days praying to God your joy. As I thought about that, I challenged myself to think of texts that would fill out the picture of God as the source of joy, the sustainer of joy, and focus of the believer’s joy now and for eternity.
 
In Psalm 16 the writer asks God to be His refuge, and the source of good, while he is surrounded by enemies. But this last verse shows us that the psalmist doesn’t want to stay still and stuck. He will venture out into the hostile world aware that God is giving him renewed purpose and strength. He is determined to go out boldly on the path of life. More than this, as he journeys by faith he looks to heaven. He is an Old Testament author, which means he doesn’t fully understand Who will be at God’s right hand, but this much he does know the source of his joy is in the presence of God.
 
As New Testament Christians we know Jesus is at the Father’s right hand, seated in glory. Jesus is our rescue story. Jesus Who turned away God’s wrath against our sin, being punished in our place, so that our whole heart rejoices in the magnificent salvation that is ours in Christ. But the fullness of joy is sustained in us by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God binds us to Jesus; keeps us from wandering away, and bars against any fatal enemy’s attack the entrance to our hearts and minds. No wonder Christians are the people of joy!
 
Mighty God, joy of the believer’s heart, thank You for Jesus—Your Son, the Mediator—Who is seated at Your right hand. Spirit of God, thank You for revealing Jesus, our joy, to us. Amen

https://youtu.be/JGaGkOJnni4?si=xAiSp_VBHyuDAI-p

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 30, 2026 -- Psalm 51 -- Are you prepared?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

“Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have broken rejoice. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:8, 10 

Scripture reading: Psalm 51:1-19

A few weeks ago, I was visiting my family and attended church.  At the time of confession, the pastor read the Preparatory Exhortation for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Some of you will recognize what that is. For those who do not recognize it, let me explain. In the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition, it was a common practice for the minister to read a form which called on the members of the congregation to make a thorough examination of their heart, attitude and relationships, the Sunday before the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. If there were any lingering sins which remained unconfessed or for which there had been no repentance, such persons were to go to the minister or their elder, seeking such counsel as would quiet their conscience or lead to the conversion of their lives. It was a beautiful practice.

As we’ve spent this month considering accountability, at home, or among a group of Christian friends, what is being suggested is not a new practice, but the restoration of a practice that has, in many circles, fallen into disuse. It is my hope and prayer, as we’ve journeyed together, that our faithful Father has by His Spirit stirred up your imagination and desire so that with renewed vigor and commitment you choose to walk in true community with your family unit, or with a few other believers. By doing this, you will then declare the praises of God Who has delivered you from blood guiltiness and restored you to the joy of our wondrous salvation.

Suggestions for prayer

Thank and praise God for His boundless grace as He has pursued you by His Spirit and brought you to the redeeming love of Jesus.

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 29, 2026 -- Revelation 2:1-7 -- The Power of Jesus' Love

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.”” – Revelation 2:1 

Scripture reading: Revelation 2:1-7

The purpose of the thorough-going examinations of our heart, mind and attitudes, as we have been  engaged in, isn’t merely for the purpose of checking a box and moving on with our lives. The deepest desire behind all this searching, is to recover our first deep love for Jesus. The love of Jesus, poured out on us and in us, captures the hearts and motivates a response of zealous service.

The Scottish theologian Thomas Chalmers (1780 – 1847) described this love for Jesus as an expulsive love; [his highly influential work is called: “The Expulsive Power of a New Affection”, written in 1818.] As John described it in Revelation, it’s a wearisome task to toil, hate evil, and endure trials patiently. Hating evil will not keep Christians on the pathway to a fuller life in Christ, but it is the adoration of Jesus, Who holds the seven stars and walks among us, driving out earthly lusts and affections. The more we look at Jesus, seated on the throne of power in heaven, able to crown those who serve Him, conquering all who oppose Him and His people, the more we see Jesus as a treasure beyond anything the world could offer. Ah, what love fills the heart.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hold the dear vision of Jesus, the Redeemer King before you. As you encourage one another, stirring the flame of the love for Jesus you hold in your hearts, greater will be the expulsive power which pushes out sin and temptation to make room in your hearts for Jesus.

Suggestions for prayer

If this reading seems too lofty, or your heart is not warmed by these expressions of affection for Jesus, pray that the Spirit will lead you to love Jesus with a profound and lasting love; if you know of fellow Christians who are struggling in their affection for our Savior, fervently pray that from the altar of God’s throne room, they will be reignited with the steadfast lovingkindness of God.

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 28, 2026 -- I Thessalonians 4:1-18; II Thessalonians 3:13 -- No Compromise

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:13

Scripture reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

Have you been in any compromising situations recently? Sounds like an easy question to answer, doesn’t it? Inevitably there is push-back when I ask it. If you are hired to work 8 hours, but you spend 20 minutes of the time you’re clocked in on your favorite social media platform, you don’t give that time back to your boss. Or you’re asked to run an item to the school office, and instead of going quickly, you socialize with a friend or two along the way. Or you start eating candy and learn that it is something your buddy swiped from the store when the cashier wasn’t looking.

There are many potentially compromising situations that believers can find themselves in. It is tempting to ignore such compromises. You might reason, why sweat the small stuff? There is no such thing as small stuff. If you waste 20 minutes a day at work, by the end of a month you’ve cost your boss a full day’s pay. Worse even than that, 20 minutes can soon stretch out to forty, because there were no apparent consequences to your previous wasted time.

Dear brothers and sisters, using each day to its fullest is hard work. Believers know our lives are lived in the blink of an eye, and then there is the judgment seat of God. How you occupy yourself when you’re at work, school, leisure, church, or volunteering, matters. People watch you and notice if you are someone who readily compromises, or if you are a person of integrity.

Suggestions for prayer

First ask God to examine your attitude towards compromise and then ask the Spirit to reveal what areas in your life might be prone to compromises.

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 27, 2026 -- I Peter 4:8-10; Ephesians 2:1-10 -- Giving of yourself to God

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…” – 1 Peter 4:8-10 

Scripture reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

Whenever our friend Mark visits, he always gets a “to do” list. He is talented at fixing things. Why mention this? Well, when offering your talents to God (the skills He has given you) it is good to be mindful of your own skills and your level of ability, as well as the needs that are “out there” all around you.

First give to the household of faith. You should know the people in your church well enough to know how to help them or bless them. If you are good at doing taxes, help someone who is struggling. If you are good at general chores, help a single-parent household get that done.

Second, teach your children to get involved as well. Studies estimate that Canadian teenagers spend just over five hours a day on their phone! Imagine if just a portion of that time were spent teaching our youth to bless others, by spending time with a lonely senior, writing a note of encouragement to someone who is sick, or to mow the lawn or trim the hedges of the family down the street that is experiencing sickness.

Third, ask each other, as a matter of accountability, how are you using the talents God has given you to be a blessing to others. You are His workmanship, His greatly gifted ambassador, sent to showcase Jesus’ love to others.

Fourth, while at church, ask God to show you how you (and your family) can possibly serve this week among church members, in your neighbourhood, or beyond.

Suggestions for prayer

Pray that God will reveal to you folks in your church, or your community, who need your help; ask the Spirit of God to give you the grace to offer help with such kindness that the recipients will be able to receive it.

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.

September 26, 2026 -- Matthew 6:20-23; 13:44-46 -- What do you treasure?

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:20-21 

Scripture reading: Matthew 13:44-46

It is important to clear up any misunderstandings before diving into this passage. It seems that almost daily in Europe and the Middle East, someone is digging up a buried treasure in a field as roadwork begins. In ancient times, people buried their treasure to keep it from thieves and hide it from enemy invaders. So, if it had been the owner in this passage who buried the treasure, he would not have sold the field with the treasure in it.

When you put the two parables together, the Kingdom of Heaven, which is all the blessings and benefits conferred on the Christian, is found quite unexpectedly (the treasure in the field). But the Kingdom is also the fulfilment of the heart’s deepest longing and greatest search (like the pearl of greatest price). Whatever else one had before, paled in comparison to knowing Jesus and serving Him.

As a prison visiting pastor, I am aware there are many “short-cuts” people try so they can get a treasure they think will satisfy them and get them rich quickly. Gambling is a massive addiction: lotteries, video lottery terminals, casinos. Why mention this? The Kingdom of Heaven is not a scheme. God the Father invites you to lay down your earthly trusts, your lust to hoard and have the fleeting treasures of this earth, so you may gain the inexhaustible treasures of heaven. Dig up your life. Why are you putting hopes and confidence in schemes that cannot prosper? Today, freely give of your time, finances, and talents in service to Jesus.

Suggestions for prayer

Pray urgently for those who are trapped in a cycle of scheming to get earthly wealth; pray that the Spirit will show you if you too are secretly treasuring up worldly things.

Copyright © 2026 Sh'ma Christian Ministries, All rights reserved.